Caster



s. 0. MENDENHALL.

(Np ModeL) (EASTER.

No. 314,951. Patented Mar. 31, 1885.

n W awr 1 Kb ,mmw V MH M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN O. MENDENHALL, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,951, dated March31, 1885.

Appliealion filed August 30, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN O. MENDEN- HALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Richmond, in the county of \Vayne and State ofIndiana, (present business address, Cincinnati, Ohio,) have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in FurnitureOasters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Stem-casters as heretofore formed, with solid tops or shells,have hadthe anti-friction-rollersupporting disk fixed to the caster-saddle, asdescribed by me in a copending application, or else screwed onto thetop. The first plan, although useful in non-separating casters, is notapplicable to separating-casters in which loose anti-friction rollersare employed, by reason of the liability of. the rollers to loss. Thesecond plan is somewhat objectionable by reason of its expense and theadditional size of chamber necessary. To avoid these difficulties I formthe socket for anti-friction casters in the following manner: I cast thetop piece with a bottom flange having a circular downwardly-projectingrim of somewhat larger diameter than is necessary to provide bearing forthe anti-friction rollers. The cap-plate is then stamped out with a rimbarely more than equal in diameter to the inside diameter of the topring. \Vhen the rollers are assembled within these parts, and the partsthemselves forcibly pressed together, a closed chamber is formed whichis destroyed with great difficulty. The rim upon the cap-plate isfurther advantageous as providing a smooth surface on which theantifriction rollers may bear, the rough-cast face of the top rimunfitting it somewhat for this purpose, while its very asperitiesmaterially aid in retaining the cap in place when pressed In order thatmy invention may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe itwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is aperspective view of a separa ble anti-friction caster embodying my invention and having a long socket. Fig. II is a vertical section of thesame. ,ig. III is an under side view of the top with the cap removed,and with the loose anti-friction rollers in position. Fig. IV is a planview of the cap removed from the top. Fig. V is a perspective view of anon-separating short-socket caster embodying my improvement. Fig. VI isa View of the same caster in vertical section.

The top or socket 1 is cast with longitudinal ribs 2 and with a flange,3, at bottom, having at its outer edge downwardly-projecting rim 4. Thespindle 5, whose fork 6 incloses the floor-wheel 7, receives allvertical strain upon its conical top 8, upon which rests the top ofsocket 1. The spindle is kept from contact with the sides of the.socket, and all its horizontal strain is taken up byloose antifrictionrollers 9, which are supported on the annular cap 10. The cap 10 is madeof wrought metal, and its outer edge stamped up in the form of a rim,11, of just suflicient diameter to bear fixedly against the inner wallof rim 4 when the two are forcibly pressed together. The rim 11 is hereshown of greater thickness than will be generally employed in practice.Its thickness will be just sufficient to give it the requisite rigidityto enable it to retain its hold on the roughcast surface of rim 4, whilenot sufficient to interfere with the pressure of the parts together bythe application of slight force.

It will be seen that the outer bearingof the rollers 9 is against thesmooth stamped surface of the rim 11, and any trouble arising from animperfect surface on the cast rim 4 is avoided.

\Vhen intended for separating casters, the

socket 1 is usually made long, as shown in Figs. I and II, and thespindle is adapted to fall out whenever the leg of the furniture towhich the caster is applied is raised.

For chairs, &c., however, where a nonseparating caster is to beemployed, a groove, 12, is formed in the spindle, and is occupied by apin or projection, 13, on the'socket 1. WVith this form of caster Iprefer, also, to employ a floor wheel or roller of hard wood, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a caster-top having bottom flange with downwardly-projecting rim, loose rollers assembled within the said rim, and acap-plate or disk having upwardlyprojecting rim adapted to closely fitthe said. top rim, and thus form a closed chamber for retaining saidrollers, as set. forth.

STEPHEN G. MENDENH ALL.

Vitnesses:

HARRY E. KNIGHT, EDWARD STEER.

